Remember what you quit! Forgive and break the cycle! Crack on!

Love Without Expectation

What is expectation? The Bible talks very little about expectation, and it is defined simply as, “To look for with reason or justification.” This definition does not give the true weight of how we use the word today. It translates into Ancient Greek as “Await”. We have been taught about false expectations, which are expectations we put on others but are not willing to put on ourselves. What about expectations in general? We expect things from God, for instance, life to a dying family member, or health when we are sick. My definition of expectation is based on society and states, “A thought process in which demands the certain action of people and is hinged on the well-being and social advancement of the individual, and is also the basis for contingent affection and concern of the world surrounding said individual.”. Basically, if our expectations are met we extend affection, and our expectations are based on our advancement and well-being in our society. Does anyone else see a problem with this? Relationally, we love with expectation. This social medium has grown in parallel with self-entitlement. I deserve for you to be perfect and my expectations of you are to be “This” way, and if you’re not I will be disappointed. This is also a simple human reaction, yet it has just grown substantially with my generation.
Look at the expectations religion puts on people. We must do this, and not do that. We must look like this, and talk like that. Religion has taken the love God offers and added expectations to it. Here is a statement I have seen lived out, “I raised you a certain way and my affection toward you is contingent on your actions and your ability to meet my expectations.” I doubt you would ever hear a parent actually say that but it is reality. And the Church wonders why so many young people have become discontent with the laws of religion. Don’t lie to yourself; love and affection are two very different things. God commands us to love, but affection is a choice that can be removed from love.
On the other hand, God loves us without expectation. He loves me regardless of what I do or do not do. He has given me gifts and a destiny, but he loves me with incomprehensible affection rather or not I use my gifts and walk in his direction. There is no contingency. Yes, I can choose to walk away from God and walk out from under his covering but it does not change his love for me. Simply put, God desires one thing from us, that is relationship, and no matter how far away from him we walk he is still there loving us without expectation. This takes us into my main point.
The fact that God loves without expectation is why I AM THE MASTER OF MY OWN FATE. It’s idiotic to say that this is an atheist statement; in fact, it is a statement of free will, the very free will God extended to us from the beginning. I can choose to be close to God and to follow his direction and remain under his covering and blessing, or I can choose not to, it is free will. I choose, because God said he’d love me unconditionally. I choose to seek that relationship with the Father because I want my life to effect the world, and his direction has taken me further than I could have ever taken myself. But, where does this leave sin? I look at sin as a putting my fate in the hands of other people. As of now, my fate is in my hands and I choose to allow God to guide me, but when I screw up, I take that power and shift it to other people. For instance, I am married and the future of my marriage is 50% in my hands and I allow God to direct me in this area, but if I choose to have an affair then I take my 50% and put it entirely into the hands of my wife. I lost control of my fate in that area of my life. As I have stated before, Sin is mostly relative and is between you and God. The fact that I have the power of choice is why I am the master of my own fate.
Love without expectation can give us the ability to be true relational people, which is what it’s going to take for The Kingdom to grow. Evaluate the expectations you have on yourself, God, and your family, and see how your affection is contingent on your expectations. Learn to love without expectation…………